I’ve been developing a theory called Essential Commons as a field for negotiation of what James Quilligan calls “…our mutual commons – the dynamic interrelationship of human subjectivity and material substance,” (Kosmos Journal. Spring/Summer, 2013).

As policies and practices are beginning to better account for the commonality of our materiality, it’s critical that we consciously evolve our understanding of the intangible drivers of our subjectivity. Essential commons is a domain for accessing fundamentals of unity between self and all else through inquiry into the axiology (values), metaphysics (causality), and ontology (nature of being) of the transformative impulse toward commons consciousness.

Essential commons holds integral space for the very essence of our individual and collective commons concerns. In the spirit of statistician George Box who said, “all models are wrong, some are useful,” the essential commons can be broken down into civil commons, spiritual commons and universal commons.

As the domain where subjectivities come together, civic space is where we create who we have to be to do what we want to do. Civil commons is the ground for establishing every sentient being as a noble seed. It’s a domain of inquiry into the personal and communal “soil” (programs, economics, policy, law, resource management, opportunity, nourishment, connectivity…) required for all seeds to thrive.

Spiritual commons makes sacred space in the commons conversation as a domain of inquiry into the life-force that is unique in each of us and common to all. It is a clearing for inter- and trans-denominational dialog, visionary impulses, wisdom traditions, humanism, metaphysics, spiritual insight and renewal, vibes, and mojo. Spiritual commons is a domain for syncing up our inner GPS’s toward negotiating all of our commons in Golden Rule compliance.

Scientists agree that we only know about 5% of reality and that about 95% of what’s so in the universe is a common frontier. As we continue to unravel the majority mystery we’re part of, the universal commons is a domain for inquiry into what’s beyond our understandings of individuality and commonality. It is a realm for exploring correlation between consciousness, energy, matter, volition, provision, behavior, evolution and the as-yet-to-be-discovered.

Sustainable progress with common resources requires progressing our consciousness of the underlying essentials of the interrelationships of commonality. As we re-negotiate our relationships with shared resources, the essential commons model is a tool for conscious evolution that offers access to our invisible commonality and our deepest resourcefulness.